Switching to a new MPS platform is a daunting undertaking, but the benefits are worth it
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For many managed print services (MPS) providers, the idea of changing a core printer fleet-management platform is akin to ripping out the plumbing in a house that you’re still living in. The software sits at the center of device visibility, meter collection, supplies monitoring, service workflows, and billing accuracy. When it works, it fades into the background; when it does not, the consequences ripple across the business. That is why many MPS providers stay with legacy platforms far longer than they should, but there comes a point when sticking with “the devil you know” becomes the more painful path.
According to MPS providers that have gone through the process, that tipping point often arrives when outdated tools start creating operational drag, security concerns, and customer dissatisfaction that can no longer be rationalized as the cost of doing business.
Source: MPS Monitor
Mounting Challenges Reach a Breaking Point
At the behest of MPS Monitor, Keypoint Intelligence interviewed several print dealers that were struggling with their legacy MPS platforms. One of the clearest themes from this investigation is that aging platforms rarely fail in just one area; the problems stack up. What starts as an occasional reliability issue can evolve into a daily administrative burden. Meter reads become less dependable. Integration gaps force staff into manual workarounds. Device communication issues consume IT and service resources. In organizations that have grown through mergers or acquisitions, multiple legacy tools can create “platform sprawl,” making it even harder to standardize processes or get a clean view of the business.
Security is another major catalyst for change. As customer environments become more security-conscious, especially in sectors like finance and healthcare, legacy data collection approaches are drawing more scrutiny. Providers increasingly need answers to questions about encrypted communications, modern protocols, third-party code reviews, and the vendor’s own Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) controls. In many cases, the pressure is not theoretical: It is showing up in customer questionnaires, procurement reviews, and deployment approvals.
That helps explain why today’s platform evaluation process looks different than it did a few years ago. Feature checklists still matter, of course, but the most forward-looking providers are looking harder at three broader categories: security posture, quality of vendor partnership, and whether the platform is truly built on modern architecture. (“Modern” is the operative term there.) Buyers are paying closer attention to scalability, real-time communications, usability, cloud-native design, and the ability to support integrations and automation at a level that older platforms were never designed to handle.
Overcoming Inertia
Of course, even when the case for change is strong, opting for the status quo is all too easy. Executing a migration without disrupting billing, support, or customer relationships is daunting. Replacing DCAs across a distributed base of clients can feel overwhelming—especially when every exception, edge case, and back-office dependency starts to surface. That fear is one reason so many migrations get postponed.
Yet one of the more encouraging findings from our conversations is that the process may be more manageable than many expect. According to the dealer experiences examined, much of a given migration can often be handled through automated tools with just a subset of devices requiring manual intervention. That is a useful reality check: Switching is not effortless, but it is also not pure chaos. The right preparation can make it highly structured.
The providers interviewed point to a few consistent best practices. Executive sponsorship matters, as does assigning a day-to-day project lead. Early pilots are critical for validating device and counter mappings before scale-up. Weekly cadences help keep internal teams and customers aligned. And, perhaps most importantly, successful providers do not try to go it alone—rather, they lean heavily on the platform vendor during planning and execution.
ROI on Several Fronts
What happens on the other side of the migration? This is where the story gets especially interesting. The benefits described are not limited to IT hygiene or platform modernization for its own sake. Providers report gains that touch nearly every functional area: better visibility, fewer manual processes, improved accuracy, stronger security, better staff experience, and better customer outcomes. In fact, while the move is not always justified internally as a pure cost-saving project, some dealers still estimate manual management time reductions of more than 30% alongside fewer on-site service visits and tighter supplies control.
The return on investment (ROI) case for a platform switch is broader than direct cost reduction. For many providers, the real payoff is strategic. A more secure, reliable, and scalable platform creates room for growth. It supports better service delivery today while opening the door to new capabilities tomorrow, including broader integrations, improved remote management, and additional service opportunities.
For MPS providers still weighing whether to make a move, the question may no longer be whether migration is disruptive. (It is.) The more useful question is whether the disruption of change is now smaller than the ongoing cost of standing still. For a growing number of dealers, the answer appears to be “yes.”
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